The present invention relates to a knitting fabric having regions of different stitch-loop size formed in a course and to a method of knitting it by use of a flat knitting machine.
A knitting fabric 100 having stitches of different size formed in a course is shown in FIG. 5. This knitting fabric has regions A and C knitted in the texture corresponding to e.g. 7 gauges and a region B knitted in a texture corresponding to e.g. 12 gauges.
In general, when this knitting fabric 100 is knitted, a yarn feeder 11, a yarn feeder 13 and a yarn feeder 15 are prepared for knitting the region A, the region B and the region C, respectively, so that stitch courses in the respective regions are formed by yarns delivered from their respective yarn feeders, as is the case with the knitting of an intersia knitting fabric. The yarn having a thickness corresponding to 7 gauge is prepared for the yard feeders 11 and 15 and the yarn having a thickness corresponding to 12 gauge is prepared for the yarn feeder 13, so that the stitch loops having the thicknesses corresponding to their respective gauges are formed to produce the textures corresponding to the gauges in the respective regions. Every time one stitch course is formed in the regions A and C, two stitch courses are formed in the region B, and the stitch loops at the ends of neighboring regions (21 and 23 in the diagram) are knitted by tuck stitching and like stitching, so as to prevent the knitting fabric from being split at the boundaries between the neighboring regions. When stitch loops in the respective regions are knitted with increased stitch-loop size difference between the regions, in other words, with increased gauge difference between the regions A and C and the region B (between 7 gauge and 12 gauge), the stitch loops in the regions A and C are usually knitted by half gauge using e.g. odd needles on needle beds.
In this conventional way of knitting, however, the number of yarns and yarn feeders corresponding to the number; of regions must be prepared, thus taking a lot of troublesome works with arrangement of the yarns and preliminary work on the knitting machine. In addition, the stitch loops at the boundaries between the neighboring regions are connected by tuck stitching, so that the strength at the boundaries of the regions is inevitably weaken and the tuck stitched part comes into prominence to cause impairment of the appearance of the knitting fabric.
The objective of the present invention is to remove the burdens of the arrangement of the yarns and the preliminary work on the knitting machine and also provide a knitting fabric having improved strength and appearance at the boundaries between the neighboring regions.
To accomplish the objective above, the present invention provides a method of knitting a knitting fabric by use of a flat knitting machine having a plurality of yarn feeders, wherein the knitting fabric has at least a first region and a second region in a course, including a stitch loop formed in the second region smaller in size than a stitch loop formed in the first region, the method comprising:
the step (A) that a first yarn and a second yarn are fed to the first region in a paralleled state so as to form a stitch course of the first region; and
the step (B) comprises:
the step (B-1) that the first yarn is fed to the second region to form a first stitch course; and
the step (B-2) that the second yarn is used to form a second stitch course next to the first stitch course formed in the step (B-1).
In the method above, the stitch course in the first region may be formed by use of half gauge using alternate needles.
Also, the present invention provides a knitting fabric knitted by use of a flat knitting machine, which has at least a first region and a second region in a course including a stitch loop formed in the second region smaller in size than a stitch loop formed in the first region, wherein the first region has a stitch course formed by a first yarn and a second yarn paralleled to each other; wherein the second region adjoining to the first region has two stitch courses comprising a first stitch course formed by the first yarn and a second stitch course formed by the second yarn next to the first stitch course.
In the knitting fabric, the stitch loop formed in the stitch course of the first region may be double as long as the stitch loop formed in the stitch course of the second region.